Surprise!
by GuardianLeonhartStrife
Summary: A brief one-shot of a random idea I had pop into my head late one night. Sephiroth makes his way to his mission's coordinates completely exhausted and fatigued, only to be thoroughly confused from the moment he arrives.


The thick soles of leather boots crunched on the fresh layer of snow that covered where the town's entrance should have been visible when Sephiroth stepped out of the helicopter. The breath he huffed through his lips became visibly crystallized as soon as it left him from the temperature being so frigidly cold. It would have been uncomfortable to most people, aside from the residents of this sleepy little town nestled up against the base of a large mountain. Plus, of course, the temperature hardly ever affected the enhanced one way or the other, and Sephiroth himself was one of the most enhanced people in the world.

The nameless pilot that was manning the helicopter flicked a few fingers over their brow in a shameful salute before turning their attention back to the controls before them. The silverite didn't share any returned gesture, finding himself to be too exhausted for the effort, aside from it being useless anyway. He was a General of SOLDIER; an important investment to the world-renowned Shinra Incorporated and one of the highest ranked individuals to said infamous corporation, with significance nearly matching that of the Shinra family members themselves…

He did not simply feint a dismissive salute with a few fingers. To anyone.

Where he would have normally found his temper flaring and reprimands falling off the tip of his tongue at such a poor display of respect to superiors, instead he noted the absence of any emotion; the entire moment already shoved out of his mind in favor of focusing on finding his mission statement's location. His fingers clutched the strap on his duffel bag a little tighter as he turned himself away from the helicopter and walked pointedly toward the town. The wind gusts were strong, whipping the falling snow into swirls that made visibility more of a challenge. It pelted against the bare skin of his face and chest and forced his lengthy hair to fly straight out behind him like a waving, silver flag. Still, he pressed on one footstep at a time, leaving a trail of impressions behind for a few seconds before they vanished beneath fresh inches.

Dim lighting was the only guidance he had, even with his enhancements, to give him an idea of which way to go. In situations like these he relied more heavily on his keen sense of direction; allowing his instincts to guide him with the combined knowledge of the mission's coordinates that he read hours ago. His steps faltered briefly as he focused instead on the thought process he was currently experiencing, drawing a frown across his forehead. Why did he keep considering his enhancements? He'd never done such before. It was his nature; something he'd known his entire life, and he had always accepted that without a second thought, until now. Now, for some reason, he kept comparing himself to regular civilians…

Probably due to the appointment with Hojo.

Whenever Sephiroth had one of his scheduled appointments with the science department, it was with Professor Hojo. The head scientist was the person who had overseen the silverite's progression since childhood, and was the only one allowed to tamper with Sephiroth's overall testing and mako treatments. He was the man that took credit for creating the General, and refused anyone else access to anything having to do with the silverite. His pet project was restricted to only his maniacal eyes and clinically calculated hands; no one else's. During his appointment earlier in the day, the professor decided to switch to a different mako than the silverite was used to. Something about it being necessary, or that it was necessary to test it, Sephiroth couldn't be sure. He usually tuned the man out when it came to the scientific babblings that were muttered to himself under his breath, and never stated to his subjects.

The appointments usually took a toll on the silverite. The poking and prodding with needles, scalpels or whatever else the scientist's sick mind decided to use that particular day were partially to blame for his overall awareness of his body becoming a bit insufficient. The other part being how still, after all these years of regular appointments with the man, Sephiroth never once was able to just simply lay there and wait. No matter where he was placed or in what position he was ordered to stay in, his body was rigid with tension throughout the entire process of whatever Hojo might be doing. Mentally, Physically, Psychologically, or all of the above: Hojo had always managed to drain whatever energy reserves Sephiroth went into the visit with, leaving him a stumbling mess of jellied limbs to find his own way out of the department when finished.

That would explain the depletion of energy he was noticing, along with the new mako used during his earlier appointment possibly forcing him to spot the differences in his enhancements. When he would have usually ignored such things, he then found himself paying closer attention to them, which could be from the chemical composition being foreign to his body. His vision was sharper around the edges, giving a hazy tunnel sort of affect to anything centered in his line of sight. His body temperature was accepting of the vast climate difference between Shinra back in Midgar and this _Nibelheim _town at the base of Mt. Nibel. Yet it still somehow felt as though every millimeter of his skin which was exposed to the elements had been recently rewired to brand new nerve endings.

A heightened sense of vision and skin sensitivity, along with acute exhaustion… all common side effects of mako injections and nothing more.

The concerns were shoved from his thoughts immediately, allowing his mind to focus on where exactly his keen direction senses were leading him. He frowned again when his feet came to a standstill on snow-dusted cobblestones. Ignoring the weather whipping around him, the silverite reached inside of his leather trench coat, plucking out his cell phone and opening his mission on the device. It was no surprise to find cellular service to be non-existent in this isolated location, but the downloaded mission file luckily required nothing more than battery life to be opened. Scanning the details over a few times, his forehead only creased further into frown lines the more he went over his orders.

He expected his mission to require a clearing of the wildlife in the immediate area surrounding one of the first mako reactors ever built; sparing the town from the infected beasts killing anyone who happened to cross their frenzied paths. His eyes flicked over the details once more for good measure in hope of the slimmest possibility that he was being ordered to check the overall upkeep to the reactor structure itself; which would make better sense than what this mission statement actually said. A sigh puffed out of his lips as his arm grew slack. The orders dropped away from his gaze when his hand moved to dangle down at his side. He forced his glare to peer upwards. His instincts had not been wrong in leading him here; which was the reason he double checked the orders to begin with before actually paying attention to the details of what was expected of him this time.

He had received orders to go to... a mansion?

This must be a mistake; a blatant oversight which will result in some clerk or secretary getting terminated. Sephiroth himself expected repercussions for not noticing the unusual nature of this mission far sooner than his arrival here. He could blame it on the exhaustion he regularly experienced after dealing with Hojo; or the fact that he barely touched down in Midgar after being away in the Wutaian war for several months before being abruptly ushered down to the science department without the chance to even drop off his bag. The appointment was expected, since he had been away for so long and required regular mako treatments for his overall upkeep, but Hojo hadn't even finished his second round of injections before informing the silverite of the mission he'd be leaving on immediately following their appointment.

He had less than twenty minutes to get from the appointment back to the helicopter waiting to carry him off here. With weak limbs and a newly augmented physiology, he didn't dare to challenge himself with trying to get up to his apartment to switch the gear he carried. He just kept the same bag of soiled clothing, rations and gear he brought back from Wutai and made his way to the landing pads. The vague glance over his orders solidified in his mako-hazed mind as being simple enough for him to handle overnight, and apparently he had come up with details that were now noticeably absent; such as pest control like he initially expected. He should've known something so mundane could be handled by second class Soldiers, not a General; it was so obvious now.

Right about when the silverite was going to turn away from the large manor and head back to the town small enough he didn't even notice he had walked through it, a squeak caught his ear.

"G-General Sephiroth!"

Sephiroth turned toward the voice, spotting a familiar Shinra uniform on a small frame. They slowly stepped closer as if to be sure of what they were seeing before snapping into a well-practiced salute. This only confused the General further; not only had he received incorrect orders, but somehow he has travelled to meet up with… a cadet?

"What are you doing here?"

Sephiroth cringed internally at the bluntness of his question as soon as he asked it. A subordinate should be addressed with authority from their General, and yet his tiredness and confusion got the better of him. The grunt's helmet quirked to one side, revealing the pale skin of a thin neck from where it peeked through the cover of the uniform's thick scarf. "S-Sir?" The voice was young, but male, Sephiroth realized, as his eyes flicked over more details of the person addressing him. The crispness to the coloration of his uniform and the pristine shape of his helmet told the silverite whoever this was has yet to see a single day in battle. That, along with the youthful tone to his voice, meant this is one of the _newest _recruits to the Shinra military; one he had yet to meet at the welcoming speeches Shinra forced him to give with every new round of bodies that sign their lives away to the company.

"Why are you here? Who is your commanding officer? What are your orders?" Sephiroth's questions poured out of him, dripping with the demand to be answered promptly and precisely. The young man, who continued to hold his salute, tightened his form even further against the barrage of questions his General just barked out.

"Sir, I have orders to be here at the Shinra Manor, under General Hewley and General Rhapsodos-"

"Angeal and Genesis? They're here too?" The more answers he received, the further from understanding he got. Why would Shinra send not one, but all three of their Generals to a remote location, in the middle of nowhere, to a mansion they own, if what the cadet just said is true? Sephiroth turned his gaze back to the structure waiting at the end of the stone path as if expecting the answers to be visible on its exterior brickwork.

"Have you gone inside yet, Sir?" the question shifted the silverite's attention back to the young man. Sephiroth flicked his wrist, dismissing the salute finally, which he dropped almost immediately.

"No. I only just arrived."

"General Hewley and General Rhapsodos might be able to help you understand," he stated as he began to close the gap between himself and Sephiroth to the silverite's surprise. Most newcomers avoided the silverite at all costs; whether it be because of their nerves growing from potentially meeting their idolized hero or, more often, out of fear after hearing more of the General's reputation. Yet this particular newcomer was comfortable enough to not only speak to Sephiroth, but approach him as if he were just one of his instructing officers. Sephiroth quirked a brow while looking down his nose at the boy, which made him stop in place again and tense up. "Uh- I- I mean S-Sir! They are expecting you, Sir!"

They were expecting him? Sephiroth frowned internally while remaining stoic in his outward appearance. So their orders held lists of names on who else would be participating, but his didn't? Things were far from clear to the silverite and no amount of blame on Hojo, mako injections or lack of proper rest could have been used to explain away his failed clarity in this situation.

The young man had turned back to saluting his General, possibly out of fear from accidentally failing to address him properly a moment ago, Sephiroth theorized. If he weren't so puzzled by this whole scenario, the General might've forced him to hold the position longer, but fatigue was seeping into his skeletal structure at that point and the storm dumping sheets of snow by the foot didn't seem to show any sign of dissipating. So instead, the silverite waved the salute away again before shoving his forgotten PHS back into his coat pocket and tilting his head in the direction of their destination. "Proceed."

"Sir!" the nameless cadet shouted before quickly shuffling in front of the taller man. He led Sephiroth down the short, stony path to the main entrance of the building. After he twisted the knob on one of the darkwood double doors to the entrance, he stepped aside and saluted again, ushering his General through the opened doorway with the gesture. With another sigh clouding the breath before him, Sephiroth glided through the opened doorway only to stop short just inside the threshold.

The interior was chaos, capturing Sephiroth's attention before he could appreciate the warmth thawing out his clothing and skin. Varying ranks of lower-class Soldiers were bustling around throughout the grand foyer he just stepped into; running up and down the slightly curved staircase he faced or rushing past him in either direction through doorways to his left and right. They paid him no mind; too focused on whatever tasks they were ordered to do by the men Sephiroth now needed to meet with all the more. His fingers twitched with the energy buzzing around him; his body reacting to the urgency in the men's movements and wanting to participate in some way automatically. Instead, he stood there dumbfounded and watched until the one that partially escorted him shuffled up to his left side.

Sephiroth blankly turned toward him just as his now gloveless fingers gripped the bottom of his helmet and pulled it off. A shock of blond hair clashed with the vague image Sephiroth's mind had created of him, before he shook his head vigorously for his hair to regain shape. Not necessarily a _shape _so much as shaking the hair that was just smashed down by a helmet to jut out in several directions. Blond peaks defied gravity, pointing upwards and outwards and cutting through the air as he turned to look up into Sephiroth's eyes. Two sapphires stared widely up at him, completely open and easy to read the adoration held within them for the silverite. He was a fan of his then, and far younger than he suspected, appearing to be a boy instead of a man just yet. Sephiroth had grown so accustomed to the mako glow in his men's eyes… that must be why he finds this young boy's gaze so-

"Zack, I will physically throw you out in the cold if you keep stealing my food!"

"Aw, come on 'Geal, I'm hungry!"

The voices, or possibly the exchange itself between the two men ignited the boy's gaze and brought about a soft smile. Thundering footsteps rapidly approached from Sephiroth's right, breaking his trance-like state and forcing his attention forward once more.

"Oh! You made it!" Second-Class Soldier Zack Fair stumbled to a stop in front of Sephiroth with a finger stuck inside of his mouth. The digit slipped out of his lips with a 'pop' before he beamed a bright smile toward the silverite. That smile faltered when Angeal finally caught up to him, wearing an apron tied around his front and swatting the raven on the back of his head with the spatula he was brandishing as his choice of weaponry.

"Ow!" Zack cried, rubbing his hand across the wound and fluffing the low-lying spikes on top of his head up in the process.

"Sephiroth, I'm glad you made it," Angeal ignored his puppy in favor of greeting the silverite still standing in the entryway with a nod. Zack turned, shouting "_Genesis! He's here!"_ out to somewhere further inside the building. Sephiroth latched his gaze onto the older raven.

"Angeal-"

"_There _you are! What took you so long?!" The voice interrupted Sephiroth as he caught sight of a red figure toward the top of the stairs. Genesis had thrown his arms out in a flourished welcome, but the gesture wilted when their eyes met. "Why do you look so..._terrible?" _Sephiroth stifled another sigh. The redhead quickly came down the staircase toward them, scanning over Sephiroth's features as he approached and frowning harder the closer he came.

"Gen-" Genesis snapped his fingers repeatedly, focusing his attention on the blond still standing beside Sephiroth and cutting off the silverite before he could finish saying his name.

"What are you doing just standing there? Take his bag!" The menial weight in Sephiroth's grasp lifted away in an instant as blond spikes move in front of him.

"Sir, sorry Sir! Where-" the redhead waved his hand, shooing the boy toward the staircase he just descended quickly with a scowl.

"To the right, obviously! Three rooms for the three Generals, which I explained earlier! Do I need to state the obvious about putting his stuff in the room that _doesn't _have mine or Angeal's things already in it as well?!"

"N-no, Sir! Sorry Sir!" he called out over his shoulder while racing frantically up the staircase with Sephiroth's duffel bag in tow.

"Not cool, Genesis," Zack pouted distractedly once the flurry of blond hair disappeared at the top of the stairs off to the right. The redhead scoffed.

"Oh please, spare me, he's only here to make you happy."

"That _was _a bit harsh, Gen," Angeal quickly sided with his favored pupil, earning an eye roll from the redhead before Genesis focused back on Sephiroth.

"So, why _do _you look like this?" he asked, waving a hand up and down at Sephiroth's form. "I don't think I've ever seen you so disheveled before. Not to mention your tardiness. Since when do you arrive late to a mission?"

_**POP!**_

Long, thin strips of pink, green and blue paper draped themselves over Sephiroth's left eye before his glare shifted to the younger raven. Held in his hand was a small tube of some sort with a vacant opening facing the silverite. The contents of whatever was in Zack's grasp floated down to the patterned carpeting, drawing their combined attention toward the small nest of similar paper strips after it landed.

"Puppy-" Angeal droned out, rubbing his free hand down the length of his face. Zack gaped into Sephiroth's glare, waiting to see how he would react to… whatever had impaired his vision had settled onto the floor between them.

"You had _one _job." Genesis hissed.

"I've got more! Hang on!" Zack blurted out, dropping the plastic item from his hand before stuffing it into his pocket. Then, Sephiroth let his sigh be heard. A deep, long, exasperated sigh left him, sounding more like an exaggerated and lengthy huff. His fingers plucked the colored paper off of his head before releasing it to join the rest on the ground. He flicked his eyes between Angeal and Genesis, ignoring the raven digging around in his pants.

"Explain."

The trio all began speaking at the same time: Angeal stating the whole situation was Genesis's idea, Genesis arguing that he questioned Sephiroth first and mingling between them were the mumbled words of Fair saying something about something being named a "champagne party popper". Sephiroth closed his eyes and held up one of his hands, silencing even the younger raven who was solely focused on finding whatever he was searching for within his clothing.

"Do you even know what today is?" Genesis huffed, "did the date at any point today ring a bell with you at all?"

A slight flinch appeared across Sephiroth's forehead before vanishing, which was more of a reaction than anyone had expected. Of course he knew the date that day; just like he knew the significance of it. On that date many years ago was the day he, Angeal and Genesis were first introduced to one another. The circumstances weren't ideal, since they were basically pitted against one another to prove which test subject was superior, but some time afterwards when their friendships developed was when that date was memorized between the three of them. Sephiroth's upbringing was only ever Shinra-related, but Genesis and Angeal came from a small town together. They had normality in their lives unlike the silverite, but they still insisted that the date be solidified for the trio as their shared day of birth.

"What does our day have to do with this?"

Genesis waved a hand out behind himself, pointing out the interior of the building they were standing within. "It has _everything _to do with this! All of this, it's for you- for _us_\- for our celebration! I've been planning this for months!"

"Planning what, exactly? I… I still do not under-"

_**POP!**_

The colorful paper strips at least refrained from sticking to the melted snow in Sephiroth's hair and partially impairing his vision this time.

"Uh... surprise?" Zack muttered out, following up with a bit of forced laughter. Genesis swatted the plastic out of Zack's hand, glaring daggers toward him.

"Go check on _your _puppy! Make sure he isn't unpacking Sephiroth's things in the wrong room!" Zack groaned, rubbing the back of his accosted hand while turning to face the staircase behind them.

"Spikey's _not _my puppy!" he cried out over his shoulder. Genesis ignored him, turning his glare back to the silverite.

"This, Sephiroth, is a celebration of our birthday. One of which I worked painstakingly hard on- what with planning and preparing-"

"Are you telling me our orders were... fabricated?" The redhead sighed at the silverite interrupting him, but nodded curtly in reply. "And you managed to persuade Lazard to agree to this?"

"Of course not. The puppy did," Genesis waved a dismissive hand in the direction Zack just went before crossing his arms over his chest and smirking up into Sephiroth's eyes. "I persuaded the President."

"President Shinra agreed to this?" the silverite asked, finding that hard to believe. Genesis grew exasperated, showing it clearly with his tone of voice.

"All the appropriate people have been informed and all the paperwork has been handled. There's nothing to worry about-"

"How? Why?" Sephiroth seemed to no longer possess the ability to form questions in full length sentences.

"Through baseless threats," Angeal mentioned quietly with a few chuckles. The redhead quirked a brow over at him.

"Baseless? Who said they were baseless? We have been separated for the last three birthdays, out on various missions or dawdling around doing Goddess knows what else. I simply made sure we would not be prevented from celebrating together for a fourth time, that's all."

"What did you threaten them with?" Sephiroth asked now that he was intrigued. Genesis smirked again, looking smug and proud as he attempted to shrug the whole scenario off like it was nothing.

"Oh… just that if what I wanted didn't happen I'd leave the company and take the third of their army that's loyal to me, with me." Sephiroth blinked.

"You _what?"_

"It's fine!" Genesis returned to crossing his arms over his chest and shrugged again, "they agreed to it, and I didn't even have to up it to _two _thirds with the promise that I'd convince Angeal to come with me."

"You nearly brought a third of them here anyway," Angeal chimed in, casting his eyes over the bustling bunch of Soldiers that still rushed around in the background of their conversation.

"A few dozen is nothing compared to one third, and like I said, it's all been approved and everyone who should know about it does. It's all taken care of. Now," the redhead's gaze became shadowed with a frown. "Care to answer my question on why you look this way?"

Sephiroth blinked again, recalling how Genesis had asked that previously, but he took a moment to reply since his mind was swirling with all the information he just learned. After a few breaths he cleared his throat and forced his thoughts to stillness once more. "As soon as I landed in Midgar I had to meet with Hojo."

"Oh."

Angeal and Genesis shared a worried glance, knowing full well what a meeting with Hojo meant. A war, a few rounds of a new strain of mako injections and several accumulated hours in helicopters brought him here, looking as he did and feeling sluggish and weak because of it. He briefly considered when the last time he had actually slept was, wondering if it was three days ago or four, but Genesis burst into his train of thought as his voice boomed out an announcement.

"Welcome, Sephiroth, to our surprise birthday celebration! Come along, let me show you to your room. We'll get a bath drawn for you so you can clean yourself up before dinner." The loud statement and pointed look he sent to the nearest passing Soldier prompted the young man into following the implied orders. By the time Genesis hooked his arm beneath Sephiroth's, the Soldier had already pivoted on his heel and rushed halfway up the staircase, probably off to go get a bath ready for the silverite.

"I'll see you at dinner," Angeal called out from somewhere behind them, but Genesis guiding Sephiroth up the staircase prevented him from turning toward the statement.

"Isn't it _glorious_," the redhead cooed, running his free hand along the sleek and glistening wooden banister. "I would have chosen a cherry wood myself, but beggars can't be choosers, you know." Sephiroth switched his focus to his internal thoughts while occasionally humming in polite agreement to whatever his friend said.

The structure looked dated and aged from the outside, but the interior appeared to have been recently renovated. Based on the babbling in his ear, it seems Genesis was not exaggerating when he stated he had been planning this for months. He took over the restoration of this manor with the birthday celebration in mind and sent small groups of SOLDIER here for the physical labor aspect of his plan, while he would oversee everything via PHS or email. For nearly half the time they were stationed in Wutai, the red General would place orders for materials, list directions to whichever rotated group happened to be here and send layouts he drew up himself on what rooms needed to be completely redone from the ground up.

"Can you believe there were no restrooms in the original design? I had to gut out two useless rooms for them, plus add in a third just for us. I nearly demolished the entire building just to install the pipework and hook up water!"

The lavish remodeling held a few touches of Genesis's influence, but overall appeared to be absent of anything personal to the man. That is, if you excluded the fancy flare showing signs that the redhead spared no expense in his redecorating from the velvet drapery down to the plush carpeting that felt like they were walking on clouds.

Genesis led Sephiroth to the landing at the top of the stairs, pointing out the artwork tastefully centered on particular walls while leading him to the smaller set of stairs off to their left. Once they finished their climb, he turned himself and the silverite to the right where his belongings were taken by the blond as well as where Zack ran off to catch up with said blond earlier. Intricate designs in gold and silver etched their way across two oversized windows facing outwards, showing the winter storm through the spotless glass panes that still raged on just outside.

"Our rooms are together in the east wing. Angeal's room is here," Genesis pointed a finger toward the first opened doorway to their right. His finger shifted to the door facing where the hallway they were in ended. "Your room is here, which by the way had a shared door between your room and Angeal's already, and mine," his arm moved to point where the hallway cut to the left just beyond the two windows they just passed by. "Mine is the door on the right. I also added a door in between your room and mine. The bathroom is across the hall from my door, on the left. Our bathroom is the third, which I added on completely, since an entire wing of our own, I felt, would fit us perfectly. It's unfortunate we couldn't have our own private restrooms attached to our bedrooms but, well, sacrifices must be made when dealing with a building as ancient as this."

"You've done well," Sephiroth quietly praised the man, hoping the appreciation he felt for the redhead's efforts were conveyed in the small and simple phrase. Genesis hummed lightly, casting his gaze down to the carpeting as he soaked up the words he never expected to hear. The moment didn't last though, Genesis gripping Sephiroth's bicep with his fingers and leaning closer to the silverite.

"And _you _smell like death. Go on," his hand shifted, pulling Sephiroth across his path. "Strip out of that uniform and pass it to me through the door so I can get it cleaned properly."

_Speaking of that,_ Sephiroth thought as he let the redhead move him to face his destination. "The gear I brought… It came with me from Wutai. I didn't have time to-"

"_Fine, fine,_" Genesis interrupted, sounding strained with his demands but showing humor in his eyes, "I'll have those cleaned as well. Just go get _yourself _cleaned, will you? Scrub yourself down and wash that hair of yours at least three times, understood?" The silverite narrowed his eyes at him.

"Of course."

Sephiroth stepped into the bathroom the trio of friends would be sharing, finding just as much unnecessary luxury as he had spotted throughout the mansion he had toured so far. A tub big enough to fit four people within it was placed in the farthest corner. The steamy surface of the water beckoned the silverite to enter, telling him that nameless Soldier managed to do as Genesis demanded of him earlier and get the bath prepared before they arrived. Condensation clouded the windows that wrapped around two of the four walls of the room and the silverite took to the task of stripping out of his uniform while noting the rest of the layout.

The remaining length of the shorter wall to his left which butted up against the edge of the bathtub was a glass enclosure with several showerheads protruding from the ceiling. Directly to his left, where he dropped his jacket after peeling it off of his body, was a trio of sinks already sprinkled with personal items around the marbled countertop for each General. In front of him was another door, which was cracked open just enough for him to see the latrine that was separated into its own room. So, naturally, the remaining space between the bathtub and the segregated latrine held a plush couch big enough that he could sleep comfortably on and made of a crimson fabric.

Sephiroth placed his right hand on the wall while pulling the sticky leather pants off of his last leg. His fingers touched what he thought was feathers, forcing his eyes to glance up at the feeling. Three hooks held three robes with matching slippers resting on the marbled floor beneath them. His fingers caressed one of them, pinching the jet-black material and finding it to be thicker than his bed's comforter back in his apartment in Midgar and made of a material only Genesis would know the name of.

"_You did take the uniform _off _before stepping into the whirlpool tub, didn't you?" _the muffled teasing of the redhead slipped through the doorway at Sephiroth's back. He quickly finished removing his clothes, bundling them up into a more manageable pile and opening the door to hand them off. Genesis grinned brightly on the other side. "Do you like it?"

"It's," Sephiroth paused, passing the soiled uniform into the redhead's awaiting hands, "impressive." He briefly wondered why the tub was labeled a "whirlpool" while Genesis hummed beneath his breath. Turning his nose away from the clothing, the redhead walked quickly back down the hallway, leaving Sephiroth to stand in the open doorway alone.

"Three times _minimum!_ Don't forget!" The silverite quietly shut the bathroom door in response.

Sinking into the welcoming water, Sephiroth felt some of his fatigue melt away in the warmth that enveloped him. It had been far too long since he last had an opportunity to care for his hygiene, and even longer since he last enjoyed a relaxing bath such as this. While he did have one of the best apartments supplied to him by Shinra, his own personal bathroom still paled in comparison to this one. Genesis had outdone himself, nearly to the point of convincing the silverite that luxury and over-the-top lavishness wasn't always just a waste of Gil.

A gentle knocking came from the door which prompted Sephiroth to crack open one of his eyes. The door was already opening slowly before he could allow or deny entrance to whoever was on the opposite side, so he just stared over to see who would appear.

"Um… S-Sir?" A blond spike poked in through the opening. Sephiroth frowned, wondering why the boy from earlier was here. Eventually, a full head of spikey blond hair became visible along with the glowing red profile of his face staring directly down at the floor. The heat of Sephiroth's bathwater created enough condensation to turn the bathroom into somewhat of a steam room, but it was hardly warm enough to warrant such a coloration on the boy's face, he thought to himself. The blond only poked his head in through the doorway before stopping himself from entering any further.

"What is it?" Sephiroth finally asked, despite expecting his silence to prompt him into saying whatever this interruption was for.

"I… I-I..."

"Go... _in!"_

The blond flew through the doorway, barely holding his hands out in time to spare himself from crashing face-first into the latrine wall. The bathroom door was pulled closed with a sharp slam, but Sephiroth kept his curious gaze on the boy bracing himself in the room with him.

"_You aren't dismissed from your duties until you carry out your orders!"_

"What orders?" Sephiroth yelled out while keeping his attention on the startling appearance of the blond. He had suspicions of what those orders might entail, now seeing the boy's uniform had _drastically _changed since the last time the silverite saw him. A groan carried through the door from the other side.

"_Accept the pampering I have in store for you, Sephiroth!"_

"This is an abuse of your power, not to mention highly inappropriate-" Genesis yelled louder, cutting the silverite off from his argument.

"_He knew the stipulations to him even being allowed to come here, and agreed willingly!"_

"He is underage-"

"_He is not!" _Genesis quickly argued back loudly, before his voice quieted and he asked, "_are you?"_

"No, I'm not," the blond shakily replied, his face growing even darker in shade than previously. That was surprising to the silverite; he looked to be around the age of fifteen.

"_See?! It's fine! Just… shut up and accept it! Nobody's leaving until you're properly cleaned up and presentable!" _Stomping footsteps moved away from the bathroom door. "_And I'll know if somebody leaves prematurely!"_

Sephiroth sighed, letting his body sink a little further into his bathwater. He cherished his friendships with Angeal and Genesis, but at times the redhead tested his nerves more than most would dare. The silverite dipped his head backward to rest on the tub's edge, sparing a cautious glance toward where the apparent young _adult _still stood like a statue. Not only had Genesis ordered the new recruit to come "pamper" one of his Generals, but he also forced him to wear a traditional -yet impractical- feminine maid's uniform.

Black fabric trimmed in white lace billowed out slightly in a skirt midway down the bonde's thigh. Dark stockings climbed up his thin legs to his knees before stopping so the rest of his skin remained bare to be seen. A cheap feather duster was attached to his hip somehow where the white lace belt reached out from the uselessly small apron down his front. The sleeves were shortened like the uniform was expected to be, but on the blond it only revealed the slight build to his upper arms. Really, the entire outfit seemed to appeal to his muscular growth; hinting to where his body was tone enough to see it while hiding where it possibly still needed to be improved upon. Sephiroth closed his eyes and turned his head to face upwards once more.

"I apologize for General Rhapsodos. This behavior is… unacceptable."

"I can leave," the blond replied while shifting fabric caught the silverite's ear. "If you want."

"The ire for disobeying his orders might outweigh the discomfort of you staying."

"I don't care," the young man snapped. Sephiroth turned to face him again and cracked open an eye. The blond had straightened himself from the wall, but immediately turned his head away the moment their gazes met. "I-I mean," he mumbled, pausing long enough to huff before continuing. "I'm not worried about him being mad, Sir. Not… Not if me being here makes you uncomfortable."

"I am not uncomfortable," Sephiroth automatically replied. He'd been a test subject his entire life, meaning countless men and women had seen every angle of his body, inside and out. That shyness most would feel about another person seeing their naked skin left Sephiroth a long time ago. The statement he made about Genesis's anger came back to mind. The silverite turned his gaze up to the ceiling again. "I was speaking about you."

"I… I volunteered." The startling statement drew Sephiroth's attention back toward the blond.

"It was either me or Zack, and I didn't think you'd have the patience for him. He's on a pretty serious sugar buzz from all the sweets he's stolen from the kitchen." To both men's surprise, Sephiroth's lips quirked up into a small smile.

"Then I appreciate your sacrifice. You spared me a migraine and quite possibly saved Zackary's life." The silverite wasn't known for his sense of humor, most times it came across as too dry to even be noticed. _Most _times, but not all, which was proven when he heard the hushed laugh buried within the blond's exhale.

They remained quiet for several minutes while Sephiroth soaked himself thoroughly without even hinting at exerting effort to scrub himself anywhere. The young blond remained close to the bathroom door, his gaze only periodically felt on the side of Sephiroth's face before evaporating when he looked away again. After long enough, the silverite slipped his arms out of the water to drape them against the marbled edges at his sides and flicked a wrist toward the couch to his right. "You may sit if you would like. I have no intention of forcing you to bathe me when I am quite capable of doing so myself."

"It was just supposed to be your hair, not… not _all _of you," the young man quietly replied before shuffling over to the plush cushions. Sephiroth opened one eye as the blond began to sit, watching him tuck the fabric beneath himself before settling down on the couch cushion, like he had done such before. The blue eyes flicked over to find his singular one already looking toward him, so the silverite forced open the other as well before responding.

"I am the only person that touches my hair." It took a few moments, but once the silverite ghosted a smirk across his lips, the blond finally let some of the tension in his shoulders release and smiled shyly. "What is your name?"

"Strife, Sir. Cloud Strife."

"Cloud Strife," the name drifted out easily when he whispered it. "Just Sephiroth is acceptable, considering our current circumstances."

"Alright… Sephiroth." His name had never been spoken before with such adoration. The silverite cleared his throat along with his mind, closing his eyes once more to better seep into his relaxation.

"And your rank, Strife?"

"I… thought that was obvious." His voice was quieter when he replied, showing signs of his reserved nature returning, despite breaking through it just a bit with their light banter. Of course it was obvious. What sort of a General would he be if he didn't know the basic color-coded uniforms for each rank of his men? He took note the moment they made eye-contact outside the mansion upon meeting; not just of the pristine nature of his uniform and being as new to wearing it as he was to the army itself, but of how the shade matched the standard-issue navy blue, or "newbie blue" as it came to be known around the Soldiers.

This wasn't how this was supposed to go, or at least it wasn't how the silverite wanted to make it go at that moment. He'd been told many times through the years that he had the poorest of skill levels in the "friendliness" and "basic conversation" categories. He hardly cared to improve on such skills, but in a situation like this, well, he thought it best to try and ease the young man with an effort on his behalf to "speak freely". A conversation about menial things that people usually ask one another, based off the exercises Genesis has repeatedly gone through with him throughout their friendship. Name, occupation, hobbies and interests… questions of that nature and the like.

Sephiroth spared a glance toward the withdrawn blond after pondering for a few moments about what to say in response. To his surprise though, once his gaze met the young man's, Strife simply raised his brows and looked down at his own lap. The silverite followed the direction as well, catching the young man shift the lacey apron up and down a few times.

"I'm a maid."

The exhale that came out of the silverite nearly passed as a snort, but it encouraged Strife by hearing it and his face split into a grin. Now the silverite felt some of his own tension in his shoulders release.

And so the conversation went; the pair of them using humor to chip away at the awkwardness ever so slowly. Cloud Strife, who was apparently eighteen; only a few years younger than Sephiroth himself. When the silverite pointed out his suspicions of him being a few years younger than even that, the blond shrugged, stating he "got that a lot." They were both hesitant in speaking of their upbringing, something that could be classified as a shared trait between them, or just caution from him like Sephiroth practiced whenever asked about it. To further surprise the silverite though, Cloud did answer truthfully on his rank in the army. He wasn't a new recruit like the General thought, but actually had been part of the infantrymen for a few years now.

"Why not wear your issued uniform then?" Sephiroth carefully voiced his curiosity.

"Only Soldiers were approved for participation in this," the blond waved a hand vaguely through the air to finish his statement. "So Zack swiped a new uniform for me and begged Genesis to just go along with it." Sephiroth narrowed his eyes while he stared, waiting for a solid minute before the blond looked up at him again.

"Did you just reveal blatant policy violations and the direct disobeying of orders from not one, but two of your superior officers to me?" Cloud blanched in fear, suddenly recalling who exactly was sitting in the tub beside him. When the threat of his skin draining of all pigmentation permanently started to look realistic, the corner of the silverite's lips curled, prompting Cloud to huff out the breath he had been nervously holding.

Sephiroth wasn't sure how long they sat and spoke, only realizing enough time had passed that his bathwater had gone cold when his skin began to prickle within it.

"A warning, Strife," he announced while using his fingers to grip the tub's edge and pull himself up. "I'm about to move from this tub to the shower. I need proper bathing that goes beyond sitting and… marinating." The blond's nose scrunched up at the description before his eyes widened.

"O-oh. Okay," he mumbled while turning to face the opposite direction.

"You _can _leave if you wish, despite what Genesis might prefer you to believe." Water sloshed loudly, splashing against it's enclosure when Sephiroth pulled his body out of it. He stepped out of the tub and turned to release the plug, noting the tainted liquid shaded with filth that used to be clear and clean. Once the drain started to remove the murky water, the silverite picked up one of the plush towels resting on the corner of the bathtub near the couch and wrapped it around his waist. "Consider it… a mission. A _legitimate _one, for a new and promising cadet."

"What's the mission?" Cloud asked humorously. Sephiroth grinned inwardly to himself.

"To escape without detection."

"Impossible," Cloud spat out sarcastically. "Even with your skills, it couldn't be done."

"I've evaded Genesis plenty of times in the past," he confessed honestly while tugging the handle open to the glass shower room. He glanced over several knobs on the wall and frowned. His fingers twisted around some of them, turning them in both directions to figure out how this overly complicated system worked. What was wrong with a single knob for hot water and one for cold, or even simplified further to one knob that managed both? No, Genesis Rhapsodos needed _five _knobs, and that was on _this _wall. Sephiroth turned his frown to the opposite side of the shower, seeing more handles across from the set he was already struggling with.

"What if I helped you with the shower for my mission instead?"

"Requesting to compromise and personal selection of your own missions already, cadet?" Sephiroth teased, despite bouncing his frowning eyes between one knob and another. He turned a few that were closest to him again and stared up at the ceiling where water should start to spurt out. Nothing happened. Sephiroth sighed. "Agreed."

Light laughter met his ears before he turned to face Strife. The blond showed his amusement in his expression, but didn't voice it directly. Instead, he passed through the opening between Sephiroth and the wall, pointing a finger to the opposite side of the glass enclosure. "That side mimics a waterfall, but this side is probably what you need."

Cloud pointed to various knobs, explaining how the features of each apparently changed the type of pressure used against the water before it came out. That was why Spehiroth's turning of the knobs didn't actually release any liquid; he was only changing the options or settings without actually turning the water on. The silverite stepped up behind where the young man was bent forward to see where the details he was pointing out were "clearly shown" on the knobs, as Cloud had stated. Before he could confirm the blond was lying, the bathroom door behind them popped open, and both Cloud and Sephiroth turned toward it.

Genesis, with an unreadable look in his eye, smiled unusually over toward them before crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm afraid I need to steal the cleaning lady from you, Sephiroth." His mako-bright gaze passed slowly up and down the pair of them within the shower room until, suddenly, Cloud stood up so quickly he nearly cracked his head against the bottom of the silverite's chin. Sephiroth moved out of the way instinctually, but caught sight of the blaring red skin reappearing on the younger man's face once more. As soon as he noticed it, Cloud slipped back through the opening between the General and the wall and quickly raced out of the bathroom altogether.

Sephiroth had missed something.

Green eyes met mako blue ones for clarity, but Genesis only smiled more boldly over at him. "_Thank_ _you _for _finally_ letting me pamper you." Sephiroth showed his confusion with a frown. The redhead ignored it, sighing pleasantly out while curling his hands around the door handle. "Do try to speed things up though. The rest of us would like to eat at some point."

He pulled the bathroom door closed behind himself, singing out an apology for interrupting just as the handle latch clicked into place. The silverite thought over what he might have meant by "interrupting" briefly, but ultimately shoved the confusion away in favor of focusing on figuring out the dreaded showering system alone.

It took longer than he wanted to admit, but eventually water began cascading down from the ceiling and Sephiroth sighed in relief. His chilled skin thawed beneath the heated streams while his hair thirstily appreciated the chance to be clean after so long. He took his time, but kept it brief in favor of avoiding Genesis coming back to scream at him. If the redhead were to be left to deal with several hungry Soldiers due to the silverite's tardiness, he could very well burst in and attempt to drag Sephiroth out so the others could finally eat. He'd rather arrive willingly, but still with appropriate levels of cleanliness.

When the water ran clear and his hair slipped smoothly between his fingertips, Sephiroth fought against the knobs until his shower came to an official end. After stepping into the center of the room and halfway through towelling himself off, the silverite finally noticed a problem and scanned his eyes around for the solution.

The uniform he wore, along with the clothing he brought with him from Wutai had all been taken to be cleaned, leaving him nothing to wear now. His eyes flicked over the robe wall a few times before realizing that was the only option in sight. The thought of himself sitting at a table full of subordinates in a robe didn't sit well with him, but it was better than going down completely bare. Unless there was a chance his clothing might still be in the room he was assigned. It was a slim chance, but still the best option for him if a feathery-soft robe or a towel around his waist were the other choices of attire for a large meal with everyone in the mansion in attendance.

Nodding curtly to himself alone, the silverite clutched the center robe in his grasp, twirling the comforting material around his back and tying it tightly over his bare body. The material was warm, plush and unfamiliar against his hardened skin. He quickly slipped his feet into the matching slippers on the tile before hurrying out of the bathroom to go and find more familiar clothing, if he could. It was only a handful of long strides to reach his room's door, but as soon as Sephiroth stepped into the hallway, he caught the remnants of a conversation in his ear. Words began to be heard clearly the closer he got to his room, along with recognition of the voices speaking to one another.

"-that was about _something_-"

"No, it's nothing Zack. Don't worry about it."

"Gen cornered you, man. What's the deal?"

"Nothing Zack! I… I don't wanna talk about it."

"Okay, fine. Will you tell me later?"

"I dunno- maybe. I gotta go get this done though."

"Wait- _Spike!_"

Sephiroth was frowning outside of his room, reaching for the door's handle when it suddenly tore open and a blond slammed into his chest. Sephiroth wrapped his fingers around Cloud's shoulders, bracing the blond while his body registered it was no longer in motion. He was so intent on fleeing whatever conversation Sephiroth had overheard him having with Zack, he had rushed right into the silverite without noticing him standing there. Wide sapphires tilted up in a stare while the General took note of the familiar strap resting on Cloud's shoulder. His fingers shifted over toward it.

"My duffel bag?"

"Seph?!" the young raven's voice drifted from within the silverite's room. He pulled his eyes away from the blond's to look in Zack's direction. "Nice… _robe?_" Cloud took a step back, tugging himself out of Sephiroth's grasp. His eyes roved over the silverite's entire form, from his damp hair, down the thigh-length, steel-gray robe to finally rest on the matching slippers covering his feet. blond spikes cut through the air when he forced his attention back up onto Sephiroth's gaze.

"I was hoping to regain my uniform before it was taken to be cleaned. I have nothing _appropriate _to wear, otherwise." The blond adjusted the duffel bag strap on his shoulder, struggling to keep his eyes on the silverite's expression and not the parted fabric revealing his lower abdomen. Cloud gulped, gripping the strap tightly in his fist.

"I'm supposed to get these cleaned right away, but there's other uniforms in your armoire, Sir." Sephiroth frowned down at the blond. He was reserved again, unlike how they spoke to one another while he bathed. It didn't sit well with Sephiroth for some unknown reason, especially when the blond said "Sir".

"Clean them now? What about supper?"

"I'll, uh," Zack interrupted, slipping through the doorway beside where Cloud and Sephiroth stood. "I'll meet you guys downstairs for chow time." Cloud's pleading gaze trailed after the retreating raven, Sephiroth watching the blond's expression the entire time. Eventually, Cloud's eyes met Sephiroth's once more.

"General Rhapsodos ordered me to do them immediately, Sir-"

"Sephiroth." The silverite corrected him as he reached out and wrapped his fingers around the strap. "They can wait until after you eat, especially if I have others here." Cloud tore his gaze away, exasperation evident in his expression.

"Sir-"

"Cadet."

Cloud flicked his eyes back up to Sephiroth's. "Supper first. _That _is an order."

"But General Rhap-"

"I will inform Genesis." Sephiroth mentioned quietly as he took the bag off of the blond's shoulder. "Go get supper, Cloud." He appeared hesitant, debating with himself on which General's orders he should follow. If Sephiroth had other clothing here, there was no reason for the blond to rush off and clean what he brought. Especially with the state of the weather outside and the late hour of the evening. Why Genesis had wanted him to do it immediately, the silverite couldn't surmise a guess at. He wondered if it had something to do with what little he picked up of the conversation between Cloud and Zack.

The blond nodded, keeping his eyes on the floor between them before rounding the silverite and moving toward the staircase. Sephiroth eyed his retreating form closely, spotting the tension coiled tightly in his upper body until he moved out of his vision. Genesis had said something, or possibly done something to the blond that made him uncomfortable. Aside from the obvious uniform change which still made little sense to Sephiroth. The silverite decided to hurry and change himself in order to spare Cloud any more time in the redhead's presence than necessary. At some point he would need to speak with Genesis about what exactly was going on between those two.

After dressing, Sephiroth walked down the stairs, glancing around at how emptied the once chaotic space had become. Where Soldiers were once racing through doorways or rushing up and down the steps, now only the silverite passed with ease. Once he stepped off the staircase, his sensitive hearing picked up on voices coming from behind him. Turning to look over his shoulder, Sephiroth spotted where another double door entryway was centered beneath the upper floors. He moved toward it.

Traditionally-sized glass windows lined the hallway he ended up standing in, detailed identically to the much larger windows lining the hallway up above. The silverite cast his glance from side to side, spotting a few people drifting about behind a swinging door on his right. The voices that caught his ear were all coming from his left though, and there were plenty of different ones to hear. Sephiroth turned and made his way toward them. His path opened up into a grand dining room, with a sizeable rectangular table centered in the vast space. A piano was placed close to the left wall from the doorway where a suited man danced his fingers across the ivory keys.

"_Finally!" _Genesis spoke sarcastically, earning the silverite's attention and smirking to show he was only teasing his friend for his tardiness. The red General stood from his seat at the end of the table and rushed over to Sephiroth's side. "Come on then, let's feed the masses before they start eating one another." Genesis ushered the silverite into the seat on his right, giving the man a light shove against his shoulders to hurry him into sitting all the quicker. Nimble fingers caught Sephiroth's attention, now noticing that Genesis was wearing what looked to be a vintage smoking jacket. He ran a few fingers down the black collar to adjust it, raising one of his brows in Sephiroth's direction and wanting him to say something complimentary about his attire no doubt.

"It suits you."

The redhead smirked, lowering his hand down to his lap beneath the table. "It does, doesn't it?" The burgundy velvet made his red hair all the more vibrant, while still wearing the color he insisted on being drenched in at all times. Sephiroth hummed under his breath. It wasn't something he was accustomed to seeing on the man, but also not entirely shocking to know he owns such a thing in his vast collection of clothing.

Sephiroth spared a glance around the table, looking at who all was joining them for dinner. A few of the faces he recognized, but the names escaped him completely, while others were new faces he had probably seen before but wouldn't remember. The Seconds were the ones that were vaguely familiar, while the rest must be the Thirds, but even he wasn't confident in that analysis. Sephiroth met hundreds of people regularly -thousands over the past few months in Wutai- and unfortunately remembering each of them was impossible, he thought, until his gaze met Cloud's. He was seated on the other side from Sephiroth, closer to the opposite end of the table on his right. The blond's gaze lingered for a moment, before nervously flicking to the General's left, then suddenly dropping to the place setting in front of him.

"Genesis," Sephiroth spoke the name before his eyes moved off the blond. A hum from the redhead told the silverite he had his attention. Sephiroth met his gaze finally, watching as Genesis took a sip of his wine. "I delayed Strife in completing the orders you gave him until after supper." Genesis swirled the crimson liquid in his glass a few times before delicately placing it down on the table.

"So I was told when I questioned him on why he was here." The redhead leaned in closely, staring deeply into Sephiroth's eyes as he approached. "Don't expect to be barking orders at everyone throughout our time here, General. This was my gift to you and Angeal, which puts me solely in charge." The redhead's glare glowed just a bit brighter as he spoke, clearly asserting his dominance like he was known to do when it came to the silverite. The two of them were constantly fighting for superiority, according to Angeal at least. Sephiroth never knew such a thing occurred, only ever behaving as he always had. For this though, after everything Genesis had done to bring this gift to life for his two friends, Sephiroth decided he could make more of an effort to relinquish control for the other man. So, he nodded in the red General's direction.

"Understood."

The slight tension in the redhead's brow eased, clearly surprised by how little effort it took to persuade the silverite to his terms. It didn't last though, Genesis smiled a little smugly and leaned back in his seat, crossing his legs in the process while watching the silverite.

"Good, just consider me the host of all of this, and you and Angeal are my treasured guests." In other words, Genesis was in charge and he and Angeal would be exposed to his whims, along with the rest of the people stationed here for however long this break of theirs would last. Hoping this would count as his portion of the gifts for his friends, Sephiroth nodded again and Genesis grinned brightly at his submission.

"Now, for my part of the gift," Angeal speaking broke through the stare down between the other two Generals. Sephiroth turned to face the opposite end of the table, finding Angeal moving to his seat with Zack already on his left. Two seats to Angeal's right, the blond looked in the raven's direction as well while the room went quiet for him. Angeal wore his standard uniform, although the leather harness was noticeably absent. He adjusted the hem of his dark blue turtleneck before holding an arm out toward the hallway. His fingers curled a few times and a pair of men standing near the entrance Sephiroth somehow had not noticed both walked through it, disappearing. Before the raven could take his seat, a steady stream of people entered the dining room, carrying the various dishes of their meal.

A flurry of movement surrounded their table as people began placing covered platters in front of each seat. When white gloves were spotted covering the hands of whomever set Sephiroth's food in front of him, his gaze flicked up to his surroundings. Anyone serving dishes to people were clad in matching pressed suits with defined creases. A stream of black tuxedos whirled around them with dangling coat tails swaying with every step they took. Sephiroth felt himself frown, passing his eyes around once more and paying closer attention to what he saw. They appeared to be servants, and the people seated around the table were dressed as if they were attending a royal event excluding Angeal, Fair and himself. As unusual as it was though, the only person who stood out was Cloud. He was the only one wearing a maid's uniform.

Sephiroth peered over toward Genesis, wondering what the point of the unusual dress code was and why he was specifically focused on discrediting Strife.

"Dig in, everyone! I hope you all enjoy." Arms reached out in front of everyone at Angeal's prompting, lifting the silver covers off of their large plates in one simultaneous motion. As soon as the mingling scents of all the dishes Angeal prepared hit his nostrils, the silverite realized he was famished. Any thoughts on his discomfort for being amongst so many while eating were lost as they all began to sample everything Angeal made with his own hands. He was known for his cooking skills, but only Genesis, Zackary and himself were the ones who knew it intimately. Rumors proved to be true though as sighs of approval and mumbled thanks from the others around the table were angled in the raven's direction, to which he batted away with a kind smile.

There was a dull roar of conversations around the room, people speaking to those who were close to them about whatever topics. Sephiroth had the option of Genesis, who was soaking in the praise the individual on his left was pouring all over him. On the silverite's right was one of the nameless Thirds who seemed too startled about being so close to him to even speak. It suited the silverite regardless; his fatigue-induced migraine was ever present and he would unintentionally be a poor choice to converse with because of it. Or intentionally unpleasant, since he spoke very little anyway. Instead he kept his attention on the flavors of care and patience from his friend. He glanced over toward Angeal from time to time to nod appreciatively when their gazes happened to meet. He would never tire of his friend's culinary skills, and only relished in them more after several months of dehydrated rations being what he ingested regularly.

His gaze might have lingered in that direction a few times, straying slightly to witness the easily expressed gratitude on Cloud's face whenever he tried something new.

Close to the end of the meal, as Sephiroth absentmindedly rubbed a few fingers against his temple, the power suddenly went out and bathed their dinner party in darkness. Gasps rang out, which confused the silverite considering a reasonable number of occupants in the room could see in darkness much like himself. Wondering if it were the Thirds, or possibly Strife that had been startled, he dropped his hand from the side of his face and turned to look toward the blond. He stopped short when an exaggerated gasp came directly from his left where Genesis sat. Sephiroth turned toward him instead. Lights flickered back on, clearly showing how Genesis was already standing from his seat with a hand clutched to his chest and wide eyes glaring down at the floor on the opposite side of the table from where Sephiroth sat.

"Oh! Oh my _Goddess!"_

More overdone cries of shock in the direction where Genesis was looking snapped the silverite's gaze off of the redhead. A vacant space between two of the individuals sitting at the opposite corner of the table raised one of his eyebrows. They both looked down on the floor in the space between them, mirroring Genesis's exaggerated pose with fists clutching the fabric covering their chests and mouths hanging open and wide.

Sephiroth stood when he realized who was once positioned in that vacant space.

Sprawled out on the floor with blood splashed across his front to stain the useless apron, was Cloud Strife. Sephiroth snapped into action before another breath could be drawn by anyone in the room.

"Fall in! _Now!_"

Chairs tipped backwards as Soldiers snapped up from their seats to line up as commanded. Sephiroth shifted his attention toward Zackary and Angeal urgently. "Angeal, take Fair and search the building! Check everywhere in case there was time for them to flee before the lighting returned!" He pointed a finger toward Genesis without looking at him. "Strip search them if you must, but find the weapon that was used!"

"Seph-" Genesis tried to say something, probably repeating the conversation they had a short time ago about who was supposed to be in charge here, but the silverite didn't care. His searing focus was on the uneasy line of subordinates.

"Are you so ignorant you would believe you could get away with cutting down one of your own when all _three of your Generals are present?!"_ Genesis attempted to say the silverite's name again as he stormed by where the redhead stood, but Sephiroth latched his heated scowl on the closest Soldier and moved directly into his space in the blink of an eye. "_Answer me!" _The grunt quivered, blinking rapidly as he suddenly struggled for air. Sephiroth took a step to the side, moving in front of the next one down the line.

Angeal called out his name, but Sephiroth was entirely too consumed with finding out who had struck the blond down. "Who was it? Which one of you did it? Who took part in this cowardly act?! When I find out who it was you will beg for mercy at Masamune's tip!" His scowl bore against each set of wide, terrified eyes staring up at him, and he takes his time conveying the full weight of his fearsome intimidation against them, one by one. To increase their distress, the silverite dropped his voice from boldly yelling, to smooth and calm. "They will not find your bodies. There will be no remains left to send back to your _disgraced _families-" his threatening words faltered when he sees the trio of people he ordered to do other tasks failing to move from where they were rooted in place. "Why are you still here? Does this not warrant your immediate attention?!" His eyes flick toward the younger raven. "Is he not one of your-"

"_Sephiroth!" _

The new voice calling his name made Sephiroth's questions dry up. Dropping his glare down to the floor, his brow creased with confusion. There, holding himself up by his elbows resting against the patterned carpeting, was the blond spikes stretching out in all directions atop a particular sapphire gaze. Cloud was alive, and awake and… looked as fearfully up at him as the people he was just interrogating. "I'm fine! See? Everything's fine! Calm down!"

That information sunk in as quickly as Sephiroth realized how much he despised seeing that terror in the blond's eyes.

With a furrowed brow, Sephiroth tore his glare away from Strife toward the trio of friends still rooted in place and remaining silent.

"_Explain!"_

Genesis took a cautious step toward the silverite with his palms raised. "Well, it's the other part of my gift." When Sephiroth's expression didn't lighten at all, Genesis threw his arms out to his sides extravagantly. "Welcome to my first ever murder mystery party!"


End file.
